8/31/2007 @ 6:00PM

In Pictures: The 100 Most Powerful Women

#6 Sonia Gandhi

President, National Congress Party

Country: India

Gandhi, the Italian-born leader of India’s most powerful political party, the Indian National Congress Party, has come far since entering politics in the 1990s. Lawmakers recently elected Gandhi’s choice for president, Pratibha Patil, in a historic vote seen as a step forward for India’s women and girls who endure daily discrimination. The vote, however, saw angry allegations leveled against Patil, over purported corruption and criminal activity in her family. Though the position is largely ceremonial, Patil is now India’s first female president, and her victory is a sign that the role of women in the country’s often male-dominated political scene may improve. “This is a special moment for women across the country,” Gandhi said. “It shows India is committed to women.” Gandhi is widely revered by her fellow countrymen, especially among India’s poor as well as its vast agricultural population. Gandhi is continuously concerned that India’s rapid economic growth is leaving the poor behind, and that her country is not doing enough to help its farmers. She has opposed a government plan to introduce special economic zones to encourage foreign investment in the country. Recently Gandhi stood up to politically powerful opponents in blocking their attempt to nullify an anti-corruption law meant to curb corruption among the country’s massive bureaucracy.–Heidi Brown